Fuchsia Defined Every Part of This Wedding, from the Bride's Lipstick and Shoes to the Vibrant Florals

After meeting on Hinge, Charissa and Chris—who "immediately hit it off," says the bride—life threw them a curve ball. "I had matched into a one-year hospital internship in Southern California, but Chris' job was firmly located in Northern California," Charissa explains. "However, instead of deciding to end the early relationship, Chris visited me as much as he could." Nightly FaceTime calls strengthened their bond, which only deepened a year later, when Charissa, psychologist, relocated to San Francisco for a post-doctoral fellowship position at the SFVA Medical Center. They spent more in-real-life time together, they say, and were able to visit with each other's families. And, when the pandemic hit, they "supported each other through it," as well.

In August 2020, Chris surprised Charissa with tickets to Filoli Gardens. Little did she know, he was planning to get down on one knee—and when he did, she was even more surprised when her friends and family hopped out behind the locale's lush bushes and ferns.

After selecting Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga, California—the scenic venue was central for their families, reasonably priced, and had a "secret garden feel," says the bride—Charissa and her mother, who played a major role in honing the event's vision, enlisted the help of Andria Leigh Events. Andria Volpicelli, event designer and owner, and Jessica Shapiro, the senior lead planner and day-of producer, set up biweekly planning calls and fine-tuned the details; Charissa's mom stepped in when the bride-to-be couldn't, sourcing additional vendors and offering her support whenever necessary.

The team effort paid off: On June 19, 2021, surrounded by 160 loved ones, Charissa and Chris tied the knot in a flower-filled service, and then danced the night away during a "romantic Italian-French inspired garden party reception with personal touches that honored the bride and groom's Persian and Irish heritage respectively," notes Andria. From the meaningful ceremony, officiated by Charissa's brother-in-law, to the upbeat party, which began with a performance by Persian drummers (and culminated in a group-wide traditional Irish wedding dance lesson!), it celebrated the pair from start to finish.

The invitation design from Minted was chosen with a simple, modern aesthetic in mind. A blue wax seal elevated the presentation; Rachel Jacques from The Bright Line Studio calligraphed the envelopes' addresses. 

Charissa's fitted wedding dress from Sarah Seven featured a dramatic bodice with off-the-shoulder draped tulle and delicate pearls sprinkled throughout; a hot pink lip completed her look. Here, she posed with her mother, who was instrumental during the preparation process. "She really did a lot of the planning when I couldn't be present and so much of the inspiration came from her," says the bride.

The bride put the finishing touches on her dad's brightly colored bow tie, which coordinated with his patterned pocket square.

Chris accented his classic black tuxedo from SuitSupply with cuff links that belonged to the bride's late grandfather. "He played a big role in my upbringing, but passed away before Chris could meet him," Charissa explains. Striped socks added a touch of whimsy to the otherwise formal ensemble.

Charissa's bouquet, arranged by Laura Plascencia of Laura's Floras, was a vibrant medley of garden roses in shades of fuchsia, pink, and peach; they were joined by poppies, cherry Carmel phlox, ranunculus blossoms, and foxgloves, which danced amid honeysuckle vines.

The couple shared their first look on the dramatic stairway of the Lafayette Park Hotel, where the entire wedding party got ready for the ceremony.

An affinity for large, fluffy blooms by the bride and her mother inspired the aisle's décor. Lush garden roses and fully open peonies were arranged atop live moss for a look reminiscent of flowers growing straight from the earth.

A "broken" floral arch marked the altar and created a gorgeous statement for the vow exchange.

Guests received ice water, speared with on-palette straws, upon their arrival to Hacienda de las Flores.

The pair's Baha'i ceremony—officiated by the bride's brother-in-law—included prayers, music, and quotes read by close friends and family; after the bride and groom repeated the verse, "We all verily abide by the will of God," in response. The bride's hot pink Manolo Blahnik mules, which spoke to the overarching palette, peeked out during the service.

A tufted loveseat bench was placed beneath the floral arch so the couple could sit during the service, but their first kiss as husband and wife took place standing up.

On their way to the reception, guests found their names inscribed inside individual glass boxes that contained a tuft of live moss and a handwritten scroll with their name and table number.

Wrought-iron gates festooned with flowers opened to a glowing courtyard where a European-style garden party awaited.

Long reception tables covered in ivory linens were arranged beneath a canopy of lights which provided plenty of ambience when the sun went down.

Each ivory, gold-tipped place setting was topped by a luxe velvet napkin in a pale shade of seafoam and a personalized menu on ivory card stock wrapped with blush ribbon. Centerpieces composed of ranunculus, foxglove, antique violas, poppies, and more brought depth to the color palette with shades of pink and peach. Each guest enjoyed a sophisticated version of a cake pop cloaked in white icing and accented with a sugar flower brushed in edible gold.

"Unique to the traditional wedding format, we held an hour of dancing in the reception space before guests were seated for dinner," says Jessica Shapiro, the senior lead planner, who handled day-of production, with Andria Leigh Events. "This was a direct request from Charissa and Chris, and it was such a joyous time—guests had just left cocktail hour and entered through the gates of the immaculate, glowing courtyard, and got to begin enjoying the space immediately. Highly recommend!"

Charissa and Chris shared a romantic tableside kiss in the gorgeous courtyard.

An array of traditional Persian foods, which included colorful dried fruits, was offered at a mirrored dessert station.

Charissa slipped into a short dress from Alexia Maria for dancing; it featured a large bow with a mini train, which drew her to the design.

The couple's confection—the layers of tiramisu and strawberry shortcake were composed by Emma Cakery by Niloofar—was iced in light blue, detailed in gold, and accented with white faux flowers.

Photography, Sophie Epton Photography
Venue, Hacienda de las Flores by Wedgewood Weddings
Wedding Planning, Event Design, and Day-of Production, Andria Leigh Events
Florals, Laura Plascencia of Laura's Floras
Invitations, Minted
Day-of Stationery, Rachel Jacques of The Bright Line Studio
Wedding Dress and Veil, Sarah Seven
Reception Dress, Alexia Maria
Jewelry, Oscar de la Renta (earrings), Cartier (bracelet)
Shoes, Manolo Blahnik
Hair and Makeup, Shawna Jarnagin of Girl with a Curling Iron
Maid of Honor Dress, Catwalk Couture
Groom's Attire, SuitSupply
Engagement Ring, Brilliant Earth
Wedding Bands, Shane Company
Music, DJ Aykut & Blue Peace Drummers
Cake, Emma Cakery by Niloofar
Rentals, Stuart Event Rentals
Linens, La Tavola Linen
Favors, Koyal Wholesale
Lighting, Penguin Productions
Rental Prop Car, Bugeye Wedding